Israel is refusing to allow Palestinians the usage of a World Bank funded landfill to the south of Jerusalem, according to Israeli daily Haaretz. The Palestinian News Network (PNN) reports that the new landfill was intended to serve the Palestinian population, but that the Israeli government is refusing operation of the landfill if the Palestinian Authority, who runs it, doesn’t agree to serve illegal Israeli settlements in addition.
The landfill is the first modern landfill in the southern West Bank. Since its use has been forbidden, some Palestinian communities have been forced to dump their garbage at non-authorized sites, posing the risk of serious environmental hazards such as pollution of ground water.
